“I knew my hooks would land, as long as one lands I knew I’d knock him out, which is what I said before the fight. I wanted to come into this tournament and make a statement: I’m not here to take part, I’m here to take over,” he said, borrowing Conor McGregor’s refrain.

“I’m here to make statements. It’s not enough for me to participate. I want to put this tournament and myself on the map.”

“Me and Groves have a history, a rivalry and the public have been demanding that fight for a number of years now,” he continued. “It can happen in January as long as he does what he’s supposed to do against Jamie.

“For me this is not about money, this is about belts, this is about respect, this is about legacy, this is about solidifying my name into boxing history. Yes, it’s very wonderful that there is large prize money involved in the tournament. I would have been in this tournament anyway if there wasn’t. There are belts and there are trophies to be had and that’s what I’ve been chasing my entire career.”